Substrate for long hair

[AprilPearl]

I know that it is bad to groom long hairs often as it damages the hair and the key to this seems to be avoiding tangling in the first instance.

Mushu is currently on carefresh. Was going to swtich him onto fitch, but I see that this also tangles.

My research tells me that the best choices are probably:

- Cat litter (which I would worry about hurting his feet)
Or
- Aubiose

Can anyone give me some advice on what substrate to use? I don’t want to stress him out by switching it too many times, so want to get this right first time.

[AmityvilleHams]

Fitch is perfectly fine.Paper based cat litter really isn't a good choice though,as it doesn't allow for natural burrowing behavior and is therefore not species appropriate

As for any natural material(such as hemp and wood,of course with wood already being entirely ruled out)there are definitely more risks involved than with a completely safe substrate such as Fitch(perfectly digestible and easy to burrow with),including allergic reactions.

I would definitely not say that paper substrate is going to tangle in the same way that wood does.It might get slightly stuck,but it's extremely easy to be shaken out or gently removed most likely by the hamster on its own rather than ever needing help.

[AprilPearl]

Right, definitely no cat litter. That was one of my worries too. I'd feel so guilty putting him on it as it seems so hard and uncomfortable too.

I think that aubiose is wood based but correct me if I am wrong. Does this mean it would actually tangle more than fitch as the latter is paper based?

[AmityvilleHams]

Aubiose is made from hemp.I think Fitch would be better in terms of being soft and more comfortable.With Fitch you'd never have to worry about it poking an eye out,whereas with just about anything else(including Aubiose)there is that chance no matter how small it just might happen As long as you store Fitch properly there are absolutely no risks,so I'd go with that even though it is more expensive than Aubiose from what I'm seeing(definitely better for burrowing though).

[AprilPearl]

Hey, Mushu is worth 1000 X his weight in gold to me (obviously I can't say he is only worth his weight in gold because he is only 101g currently and as expensive as a gold bar that weight would be, it isn't expensive enough).

I didn't even know that would be a problem with aubiose! That would scare me, so thanks.

[AmityvilleHams]

You definitely can't put a price tag on the love of a best friend(even if tiny and furry or otherwise in some cases).

I'm the kind of person who tries to imagine every little worst case scenario and figure out if it really is safe or not!It doesn't hurt to be "paranoid" though so feel free to join the club

[AprilPearl]

Oh I go above and beyond over protective! I was putting toilet paper up my sleeves for Mushu to get my scent on it and got worried that even though the paper was under the level of my elbows, that some of my deodorant could have fallen down onto it! My mum says I am OCD about Mushu's safety :\

[souffle]

It does depend on how intent you are on keeping his coat. It tends to be behind the ears and round the skirt that tangles. They are quite happy to have the coat trimmed of it keeps getting tangled.
Most substrates do tangle and satin long coats are especially tricky as the fur is so fine. Back to nature pellets are decent but again these are pellets and you may not feel happy using them. I haven't used Fitch however other breeders do say it does tangle especially when wet. Some people use the Finacard Cardboard which are good for long coats so may be worth a thought. Hamster Bedding-Dust Extracted Healthy Hamster Bedding

One thing to watch is the wheel especially with satins. As they run the coat can get static and stand up making the fur catch in the spindle if the wheel has one!

[AprilPearl]

Thanks Souffle. Will give it a look. May I ask what you personally prefer to use for your long haired hams?

[souffle]

We haven't had any for a while but we have Hadrian now who is just getting to the tangly stage. I have used Aubiose in the past but as I've been given some fitch I'm going to try it with him shortly. If it tangles I'm going to see how the Back to Nature does.
Once retired from showing we tend to trim the skirts on the males.